The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1887-01-25
BIGGEST THINGS.
Largest Works or Man and
Nature in the World.
Interesting Facts Useful When You Get
Into an Argument.

Inc largest tncatrc Ill the world Is the
new opera house in Paris. 1t covers
nearly three acres of ground; its cubic
mass is 1887, 600 feet it cost about 1OO,-
0O0. 600 francs. The largest suspension
bridgcis the one between New York city
and brooklyn the length of the man span
is 1,595 feet 6 inches; the entire length
Of tho bridge is s, $50 feet. The loftiest
active volcano is Popocatapetl-"smok-
ing Observation-Disclosures miles south
west of Pucbla, Mexico; it is II, 74S feet
above the sea level and has Il crater three
miles in circumference and a thousand
feet deep. The longest span of wire in
the world is used for q telegraph in In
dia over the river Kistnah. 1t is more
than 5000 feet in length aud Is 1000
feet high. The largest ship in the world
is the Great Eastern. She is $50 feet
long, 80 feet broad and 60 feet deep, be-
ing %, G27 tons burden, 10, 915 gross and
13, 344 net register.
The greatest fortress, from n stra'cg-
lcal point of view, is the famous strong
old Of Gibraltar. 1t occupies a PENN
sula Jutting into the sea, about three
miles long and thrcc-q,lartcrs of q mile
wide. Ono central rock rises to a height
OF 1,435 feet above the soa level. Its
northern face is almost perpendicular,
While its cast side is full of tremendous
precipiccs. On the south it terminates
IN what is called Europa Point. The
west side is less steep than the cast, and
bctwccn its base and the sea is the mar
row, almost level span on which the
town of Gibraltar is built. The fortress
is considered imprcgnab!c to military as
sault. The regular garrison in time of
peace numbers about seven thousand.
Tho biggest cavern is the Mammoth
Cave, in Edmonson county, kentucky.
1t is near Green river, about six miles
from Cave City, and twenty eight from
Bowling Green. The cave consists of a
succession of irregular chambers, some
of which arc large, situated on different
levels. Some of these are traverscd by
navigablc branches of the subtcrrancan
Echo river. Blind fish are found in its
waters.
The longest tunnel in the world is that
of the St. Gothard, on the line Of rail-
road between Luccrno and Milan. The
summit of the tunnel is 900 feet below
the surface ut Andcrmatt, and 6 1000 feet
beneath the peak Of K%astclhorn of the
st. Gothard group. The tunnel is %
1-2 feet wide, and is IS feet 10 inches
from the floor to tho crown of the archcd
roof. 1t is 0 1-2 miles long, 1 5-s miles
longer than the Mount Gents tunnel.
The biggest trees in the world arc the
mammoth trees of California. One of a
grove in Tulnrc county, according to
measurements made by members of the
State Geological Survey, was shown to
be 276 feet in height, 1oS feet in circum-
terence at base, and 7G feet at II point 10
feet above the ground. Some of the
trees arc $40 iect high and "a feet in
diameter. Some of the largest that
have been fclled indicate IN age of from
1000 to :, 500 years.
Tho largest library is the Bibliothcquc
National i'll Paris, founded by Louis
XIV. 1t contains 1, 400, 600 volumes,
300, 600 pamphlets. 175, 900 manuscripts.
300, 600 maps md charts, and $50, 900
coins and medals. The collection of en-
cravings exceeds 1, 800, 900, contained in
some 10, 900 volumes. The portraits
number about 100, 600.
The largest desert is that of Sahara, n
vast region of Northern Africa, extend
ing from the Atlantic Ocean on the west
to the valley of the Nile on the east.
The length from cast to west is about
5000 miles, its average breadth about
300 miles, its area about 9, 900, 900 square
miles. Rain falls in torrents in the Sa-
hara at intervals of five, ten and twenty
years. In summer the heat during the
day is excessive, but the nights are often
cold. In winter the temperature is
sometimes below freezing point. The
greatest pyramid is that Of Chcops, one
of the three pyramids forming the Mem
phis group, situated on II plateau about
1877 feet above the level of the highest
rise in the Nile. Its dimensions have
been reduced by the removal of the
outer portions to furnish stone for the
city of Cairo. Its masonry consisted
originally of so, O2s, 600 cubic feet and
still amounts to 80, III, 900 feet. The
present vertical height is 45O feet,
against 479 feet originally. The total